


Sweeter

by Mercutioblah



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce is dead, Coming of Age, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne-centric, Dick Grayson is Batman, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-09 15:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19478542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercutioblah/pseuds/Mercutioblah
Summary: Building a better Batman out of a broken boy wishing to have the attention of his father.





	Sweeter

“...rumor has it Gotham’s Golden Boy, Bruce Wayne, has recently found out he is the father to a young b-“   
*click*  
“Who is Damian Way-“  
*click*  
“Is there an heir to Gotham’s Throne? Claims have been made that Bruce Wayne has a son.”  
Robin muted the news scanning monitor in the cave, news anchor’s gossip wasn’t going to help the project at hand, confirming Bruce’s relation to the boy Talia had left at the manor yesterday. Though Bruce believed her and the kid looked like him, science would give him proof and proof is what he needed. His DNA test would be complete in an hour. Until then he’d try to finish his old reports before leaving the cave for the day. 

Damian sat on his mat trying to clear his mind. Usually when he needed to find peace he would practice with his katana, unfortunately, the butler had confiscated it shortly after his arrival, apparently, the shrubbery was decorative and it was offensive to the man to use them for practice. He’d been at the manor for almost two weeks now, father forbade him from entering the cave, he had no weapons and quite honestly, he was bored. There is only so much time one can spend searching the grounds and meditating before you need to do something engaging. It had been mentioned numerous times that Drake, the current Robin lived at the manor, though Damian had yet to encounter him. The title of Robin was his right, he could not understand why his father refused to let him act as Robin, he was trained, he knew how to fight, and most of all; he was his blood.   
Damian knew where Drake’s room was he had memorized the layout of the manor during his first day here. He hid, shadows were the friend of all assassins, blending into a setting, setting your breathing, and disappearing. Damian sat outside Drake’s room for hours waiting for the boy to show his face, no one came. It wasn’t until almost three in the morning that the hallway showed any signs of life a faint glow under the door to Robin’s room told him it was only a matter of time before the boy would be caught. He didn’t have to wait long, the door opened, and a sleepy teen wandered out heading north. Damian seized the opportunity and gracefully dropped from his place in the shadows behind his target and pinned the boy floor.   
The only reaction he received from his victim was a murmur of, “What the fuck?” And no sign of a struggle as he simply went limp beneath his attacker, “Can we do this at a godly hour?”   
Damian was unsure how to respond to this kind of reaction from father’s partner. Was this really who Batman trusted at his side in place of his own blood? This boy was barely older than him and far easier to overpower! He didn’t deserve the honor.   
So distracted by these thoughts, Damian didn’t notice the tension beneath him until it was too late and he suddenly found himself flat on his back as Drake released a disgruntled growl and melted seamlessly back into the hollows of the manor a soft click the only thing signaling he had locked himself back within his rooms before Damian heard the boy call him clear as day, “Demon brat.”  
~time skip~  
“Robin, Black Bat, Heist at the Modern Art Museum. Security footage shows a loop near the Fernando Botaro Exhibit; it’s a cat statue.”   
Black Bat tapped her comm. and grappled towards the museum. Leaving Robin behind on the rooftop,   
“Acknowledged. Following Black Bat in pursuit. Do you intend to notify Batman?”  
As he spoke, Damian fired off his grapple into the darkness and leaped mere moments before the telltale sound of contact echoed back to him, fully in tune with his city.   
Tim’s voice crackled to life again in his ear, the grumble of frustration only evident after years of hearing it over the comms, “That depends entirely on Kyle.”

Gotham was always beautiful, but at night she was something more. Even though Damian had lived here for almost five years now and had seen the city’s worst aspects, he remained entranced by the music of her busy noise and lights that draw their viewer in like stars. As he flies over her streets and climbs her buildings he finds himself getting lost in the depth of her. Cass is a jump ahead of him and as she lands on the roof of the museum she signs “BCK” before heading towards the back entrance to start tonight’s game of cat and bird.   
Damian drops down over the front of the building so quietly he’s sure Selina herself would be proud if it weren’t for the fact that he’s in pursuit of her. He’s confident that Cass will do her part in drawing Selina out all he has to do is be there to spring the trap when she comes.   
It isn’t long until Damian hears glass shattering somewhere in the museum; his comm receives two taps, Black Bat needs back up.   
Damian moved through the exhibit halls with ease, laughing to himself about the fact that Selina actually took him with her here a week ago supposedly as a way to bond, he should have known she was planning on breaking in; he had dismissed her interest in the security as simply being the habit of an ex-thief. Before he could turn the last corner before the Botaro exhibit, his leg was caught up by a large writhing vine that scooped him into the room against the wall.   
“Robin! As nice as it is to see you again, this is a girls-only event, so we must kindly ask you to leave, Black Bat, however, is more than welcome to stay, if she wants to join in our festivities.” Selina said with a smile as she nodded towards Cass who was bound to a bench in such a way to be still perfectly comfortable; just stuck. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy were in costume with the addition of sashes declaring them bridesmaids, Selina was also wearing a sash, hers declaring her to be the bride. Of course, only Selina Kyle would rob a museum for her bachelorette party.   
“Didn’t you tell B that you were done with this?”   
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him; this can be our little secret, right D?”   
“Only if no works leave the museum, you have your bachelorette party in a legal manner and whatever was broken during this madness is paid for by a generous, anonymous donor.”  
“I suppose the girls and I can agree to that. Ivy you can let the party crashers go, it’s almost past their curfew. I’ll see you two tomorrow morning; hopefully in some better outfits.”  
The plant-life around them grew slack allowing them to leave as gracefully as they had come disappearing back into the black of Gotham’s skies. Patrol was nearly over and nothing seemed to be out of place so the last hour was spent sitting in peaceful silence on top of W.E. Headquarters. The only interruption being Red Robin over the comm system checking in on the cat situation.   
“So Robin, after the encounter, do you feel that we need to alert B?”   
“Negative. I believe Kyle is not a threat. If he finds out it will have to be from her.”   
“Understood. You and Black Bat are done for the night, Red Robin out. “ the line went dead and once again Damian found himself alone on the rooftops of Gotham.   
~flashback~  
“It seems as though Master Bruce may not be returning Master Richard, I urge you to stay in Gotham until matters can be resolved.”   
“Alfred-“ Dick choked, “I can’t, I finally built something for myself here. Blüdhaven has become my home, I have a job; a job that I love. If I leave now everything I’ve built up will crumble.”   
“I understand that very well Master Richard, however; Gotham can only stay afloat for so long without Batman, and Robin can only do so much. Master Timothy is doing his best given the circumstances, however, he’s still only a child, a child who finished the year just barely passing most of his classes and is still mourning his parents’ death.”  
“I’ll be over for the weekend; after that, I’ll have to play it by ear. Has anyone contacted Jim?”   
“Not yet. Robin has been meaning to, but the bat signal hasn’t been on since Master Bruce’s disappearance. I’ll see you this weekend Master Richard, until then; stay safe.”   
The line went dead.   
Dick had gotten over the shock value of Wayne Manor years ago, but there was still a sense of awe when he returned for the first time in months, he took a deep breath, shrugged his duffel bag onto his shoulder and opened the front door and returning to what was his life once was.   
The manor was the same as it always had been; quiet, yet; inviting. His room had remained untouched. Pictures of the Titans, Barbara, and Wally were scattered across the walls along with newspaper clippings of his days as Robin and posters from Haley’s Big Top. Dick began to settle into his space before being interrupted by a soft, hesitant knock.   
Dick leapt off the bed to open the door, in the hall was Tim, shuffling away from the door hoping to go unnoticed.   
“Tim, want to talk?” Dick asked calmly in hopes not to scare the young boy off  
“About what? Bruce’s disappearance or my parents ‘cause honestly I’m not in the mood to talk about either.” Tim mumbled as he trudged into Dicks room and landed on the bed with a graceless flop.   
“Neither, I have a proposition for you. You and I both know I’m not here on a social call, if I decide to stay here in Gotham I need someone to watch Blüdhaven; think of it as a summer job. You could stay at my apartment so I don’t have to move all my shit, keep crime down, let me know if any bigger players are trying anything, get some time out of Gotham and-“   
A sharp knock interrupts the discussion   
“C’ mon in,” Dick said as he stood from the desk chair he’d been lounging on.   
“Young Masters, I hate to interrupt but the bat signal is lit,” Alfred says calmly.  
Tim jumps up, but before he can reply-  
”I’ll handle it. Haven’t had a chance to stretch from the trip yet anyways. Tim, take a night off I can handle this one.” Dick says confidently pushing Tim back onto the bed, hefting his bag over his shoulder and following quickly behind Alfred.   
”Batcave. Come in. Robin? I need back-up, Croc’s packing a little more punch than I remembered. I’ve sent my coordinates to the bat-computer.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter! I've been working on this concept for a little over a year and it's still fairly rough but enjoy!


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